San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-21
CHAPTER TX.

Wednesday morning-a day never to
be forgotten; the twenty-first of May
date ever to be remembered! | rose
with the sun. The morning was so
beautiful that one could hardly believe
in the clouds and the storm of the day
before. The air was sweet and fresh
after the rain; the grass was of bright
er green, the leaves had a deeper hue,
and the flowers held up their heads
with renewed life.
When l opened my window, the odor
Of the lilacs came to me. | could see
far away the golden CLEAN of the la
burnum and the tall chestnut trees.
The fragrance from the lilacs sent my
mind and heart back to Mark. | re-
membered how he had always loved the
early morning, the fresh, sweet air, the
CLINT of the sun on the leaves. But he
trod no more the green fields and wood
land ways that he had loved so well;
the music of wind and leaf reached him
no longer. A longing Impotence seized
me for the time when /, in Heavens
mercy, should stand by his side again.
forgot the terrors of the previous
day; forgot all about the visitors in
the house. My heart was on fire with
the anguish of my bitter desolation.
Never since Mark had left me on that
bright July morning had | longed so
eagerly for his presence. l went out,
for the house seemed all too small to
hold me and my great sorrow-Out
where could see the blue heavens. All
me, how fair was the morning, and how
sweet were the lilacsl 1t could not
hurt me to dream for a few minutes, to
loosen the bands that sorrow had bound
round me, to weep as had wept when
Mark went from me.
went to the lilac trees, fresher and
sweeter than ever since the rain, and
sat down. The warm May sunshine
fell around me, the birds were calling
to each other, the dew lay upon the
grass. l tried to forget the present,
and live for short time in the past. l
pictured the May morning at Gracedieu,
on my seventeenth birthday, the pretty
old home buried in the trees, the dis
tant CLEAN of the river, the shade of the
deep green woods, and the lovely group
of Glac-trees, the topmost bOugh of
which / could not reach. | saw the
frank, so brave, so true; his dark eyes
to me earth had held no sweeter music,
was in my ears.
"Oh, Mark" l cried aloud, why
could not have died with your"
Merciful Heaven, what was thatp /
rose to my feet with cry. What was
itp A figure coming slowly toward me,
tall and stately, but with a dropping
head, walking with slow, uncertain
step. Oh, Heaven, who was it-what
was itp stood paralyZed. My heart
beat so violently that / could almost
hear it; my hands shook; all the warmth
and color left my face. White, breath
less, trembling at the same moment
with terror and joy, bewildered and
amazed, / stood as though my feet
were rooted to the ground. What was
it?
Coming slowly towards me, yet not
seeing me, buried in thought, the sun
shine falling on his bowed head, was
Mark. Surely, if Mark had ever lived,
this was he? If the sun shOne in heav-
en-, if / was sane, that was Mark
Mark, for whom l had wept as dead
my handsome, true, dear lover, come
back to me! | tried to utter his name,
but the sound died on my lips. tried
to move towards him, could not stir.
He was coming nearer. All, yes, it was
Mark Oh, my heartl l could have
cried out in gratitude to Heaven, and
have died. saw the strong dear hands
that had held my own: l saw the dark
face, older and sadder than when we
parted; | saw the loving eyes, full now
of wistful sadness.
He was not dead then, but living and
WE'LL He had doubtless been to Grace
dieu in search of me, and the Rector,
with whom | had left my address, had
sent him hither. He had been to the
house to ask for me, and the servants
had told him was out in the park He
would explain his long, cruel absence.
He had come back to me; he was true